Naughty or nice? Most definitely naughty. This month’s BundtBakers holiday theme let us choose which “N” word we preferred to base our Bundt cake recipe upon. So instead of sugar, and spice, and everything “Nice,” I chose to load my “Naughty” Bundt cake up with Chocolate, Whiskey, and Bacon, because that’s just how I roll. I’ve got a little bit of the Devil in me, and the Devil likes nothing more than Bacon, especially when it’s doused in Whiskey.
For all of you out there who think Chocolate and Bacon should never be allowed to play together, you are so very very wrong. I think they could be best friends for life. Sure they might get into a fight every once and a while over who flirts with Whiskey the most, but in the end they will always find their way back to one another. There’s nothing that a day of lounging around in pajamas, watching trash TV, and eating ice cream straight out of the carton can’t fix. Chocolate and Bacon don’t even mind swapping slobbery cooties while sharing the same spoon. They’re tight like that.
Sometimes being “Naughty” can be so very very “Nice.” Don’t believe me? Just talk to Whiskey. Oh, the tales he could tell you. You can’t even imagine the stories he could weave in which Chocolate and Bacon are concerned. Most are scandalous, shocking, seductive, and completely sinful. Those are all words you want your tongue to whisper as you take a tentative first bite out of this Bundt cake. It’s perfectly understandable to be leery at first, but after that first “Naughty” taste of sinfully sweet bacony goodness, I promise you that all doubts will disappear.
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 3/4 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Whiskey
- 1/3 Cup Cocoa
- 1 Teaspoon Fleur de Sel
- 1/2 Teaspoon Instant Espresso Coffee
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Chocolate Extract
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Miniature Chocolate Chips
Whiskey Bacon Jam:
- 1 1/2 Pounds of Thick-Cut Bacon
- 2 Tablespoons Bacon Grease
- 1 Cup Shallots, Finely Chopped
- 2 Cups Sweet Yellow Onions, Finely Chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Grated
- 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Whiskey
- 1/2 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
- 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
Directions:
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Over medium heat, combine the butter, water, whiskey, cocoa, fleur de del, and espresso. Cook until the butter is completely melted; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking soda.
- In a small bowl, combine 1-tablespoon of the flour mixture with the miniature chocolate chips; set aside.
- Slowly whisk the liquid cocoa mixture into the large mixing bowl filled with flour.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the extracts, and then the sour cream.
- Fold the flour-coated chocolate chips into the cake batter with a silicone spatula.
- Pour the cake batter into a Bundt pan sprayed with cooking spray, and then bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to rest for 2 hours, before removing it from the pan to cool completely.
- Top with Whiskey Bacon Jam.
Whiskey Bacon Jam:
- Cook the bacon until very crispy, and then allow it to drain on a paper towel lined plate. When the bacon has cooled enough to handle, chop or crumble it into small pieces, and then set it aside for later use.
- Place the shallots and onions in a saucepan with the bacon grease, over medium heat. Cook until caramelized, stirring every 3 to 5 minutes. Be patient, because this may take some time to accomplish.
- Stir in the garlic; cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Slowly add in the whiskey, being careful not to burn the entire house down.
- Add the maple syrup, increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the vinegar and brown sugar, and continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the bacon to the saucepan, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Allow the jam to cool some before storing it in airtight glass containers.
Suggestions:
- Tossing the chocolate chips in a bit of flour, helps to keep them from settling at the bottom of the Bundt cake pan.
- Tap the filled Bundt pan several times on the counter to eliminate air bubbles in the cake batter.
- Make the Whiskey Bacon Jam ahead of time, and store it in either the refrigerator or freezer until use.
- You will have a lot of leftover Whiskey Bacon Jam. Use it just as you would any other type of jam. It’s pretty darn amazing on toasted bread, ice cream, or grilled cheese sandwiches.
Improvements:
- Drizzle with chocolate ganache before topping with Whiskey Bacon Jam.
- Add 1/2-teaspoon of ground chipotle to the cake batter.
- Use your leftover Gentleman’s Whiskey Bacon Jam to make Bacon Jam-Filled Cookies.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 3/4 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Whiskey
- 1/3 Cup Cocoa
- 1 Teaspoon Fleur de Sel
- 1/2 Teaspoon Instant Espresso Coffee
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Chocolate Extract
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Miniature Chocolate Chips
- 1 1/2 Pounds of Thick-Cut Bacon
- 2 Tablespoons Bacon Grease
- 1 Cup Shallots, Finely Chopped
- 2 Cups Sweet Yellow Onions, Finely Chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Grated
- 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Whiskey
- 1/2 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
- 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Over medium heat, combine the butter, water, whiskey, cocoa, fleur de del, and espresso. Cook until the butter is completely melted; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking soda.
- In a small bowl, combine 1-tablespoon of the flour mixture with the miniature chocolate chips; set aside.
- Slowly whisk the liquid cocoa mixture into the large mixing bowl filled with flour.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the extracts, and then the sour cream.
- Fold the flour-coated chocolate chips into the cake batter with a silicone spatula.
- Pour the cake batter into a Bundt pan sprayed with cooking spray, and then bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to rest for 2 hours, before removing it from the pan to cool completely.
- Top with Whiskey Bacon Jam.
- Cook the bacon until very crispy, and then allow it to drain on a paper towel lined plate. When the bacon has cooled enough to handle, chop or crumble it into small pieces, and then set it aside for later use.
- Place the shallots and onions in a saucepan with the bacon grease, over medium heat. Cook until caramelized, stirring every 3 to 5 minutes. Be patient, because this may take some time to accomplish.
- Stir in the garlic; cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Slowly add in the whiskey, being careful not to burn the entire house down.
- Add the maple syrup, increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the vinegar and brown sugar, and continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the bacon to the saucepan, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Allow the jam to cool some before storing it in airtight glass containers.
#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving Bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest Board.
- Amaretto Almond Bundt Cake by I Bake He Shoots
- Angel Food Bundt Cake with Cranberry Filling and Lemon Glaze by Taking On Magazines
- Boozy Chocolate Root Beer Bundt Cake by From Gate to Plate
- Bourbon-Soaked Cherries & White Chocolate Bundt by Sugar Coat It!
- Bundtcake Especiado by La Mejor Manera de Hacer…
- Candy Cane Bundt by Cali’s Cuisine
- Cherry Chocolate Bundt Cake by Basic N Delicious
- Chocolate Gingerbread Bundt Cake by How to Philosophize with Cake
- Christmas Fruitcake with Butter Rum Sauce by Tea and Scones
- Christmas Rose Bundt Cake by Living the Gourmet
- Cranberry Spice Bundt Cake by Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Eggnog – Rum Marble Bundt Cake by Jenny and Sweets
- Eggnog Pound Cake by Palatable Pastime
- Gingerbread Bundt by I Camp In My Kitchen
- Hot Buttered Rum Bundt by Food Lust People Love
- Maple Syrup Pecan Cake by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Naughty and Nice Kahlua Gingerbread Bundt Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Old Fashioned Marble Cake Bundt by Brooklyn Homemaker
- Peppermint Candy Cane Bundt Cake by The Freshman Cook
- Pistachio & Cranberry Bundt Cake by Tartacadabra
- Red Velvet Candy Cane Mini Bundts by The Crumby Cupcake
- Rum & Eggnog Bundt Cake by Liv for Cake
- Spiced Fruitcake by Magnolia Days
- Spiced Ginger Bundt Cake with Caramel Brandy Sauce by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
- Spiced Rum Eggnog Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
- Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice Cake by Eat, Drink, Be Mighty
- Super Naughty Chocolate Whiskey Bacon Jam Bundt Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite A Whiskered Accomplice
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers can be found on our homepage.
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Colleen is a Virginia food blogger who specializes in serving her recipes for feel-good southern comfort food with a side of sarcasm and a little bit of cat hair thrown in for good luck.
Each petal of the four-leaf clover stands for something; faith, hope, love, and luck. It requires all of these to survive Lady Brenna of Fairfax, an adventurous Bengal cat with a very unyielding personality.
